Bus Shite

[Yoss]

23 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

hah cool! funnily enough I saw that bus and thought I papped it myself just a few days ago  

sadly not, but heres a some other photos I took of the Route 38 running day on the 16th, that I managed to attend (which RM1400 was a part of)

first up was KGU4 RTL554, this was my first time on an RTL so that was quite fun  (been on an RTW and RT in the past)

STL2377 was on Route also, was really amazing to see a 1930's STL in the flesh and in working service  sadly I did not quite manage to grab a ride on it

 

I spotted this Bently which made me think of @83C

then we finally got to Victoria, and waited for our bus to arrive, first went 527CLT, RM1527

then VLT5, RM5

then finally RM1 showed up  I like the Clapton Garage code plate, nice little attention to detail there for the 38

being the first prototype it has some interesting small detail differences like the saloon heater outlet

and different rear indicators 

and front indicators too, RM1 and RM2 uniquly had cream coloured ears, where all other buses had standard black ones

it was amusing to see this disc did not match!

and I managed to bag a seat behind the driver, I did check the speedo with a GPS speedo app on my phone and it was surprisingly accurate

and an interesting little plaque on one of the window winder mechanisms 

and an upper deck shot, notice the lack of opening front windows and simple ventilators, something unique to early RM's

very interestingly to me, some of the lightbulbs in the upper saloon had etches on them! the Saloon bulbs on a Routemaster and an RT are something unique to London Transport, 24V 22W 50Mm bulb

no one else ever used such a combination and i have never been able to find any in any catalogs, always a bit of an enigma to me, up until now all I had seen simply had a black ink stamp on the base "24V 22W LT"

and that was it, but these bulbs had an actual etch on the crown of the bulb, sadly tho the etches are quite faded and I cant make out what it says in the middle

but still very interesting to see! after some shuffling about 

finally caught my final bus for the day, SMK760F, RML2760, the Last Routemaster built and a personal favourite of mine  

bagged the near side seat this time for a good view into the cab, she was being driven in semi-auto mode which I thought was interesting

the inside illuminated advert was still working which was nice to see  

saw KYY653, RT1798 

before waving goodbye to RML2760 and heading home

and I have to say oh my gosh why are modern buses not this comfortable the RM and even RT are way nicer to be on then any modern bus, much smoother ride and much more comfortable seats  

 

it was really awesome to finally get out and about on the buses, it had been 6 years since I was last able to ride on an RM so it felt good to do so again  

 

I'm glad you managed to make it, I was working unfortunately. It is great to see so many RTs out and about. I mean it's good to see RMs too but they don't seem so exotic to me for obvious reasons. Hard to believe it's eighteen years since they came out of regular service but I've spent so much of my life on them they still don't feel unusual. But as I never knew RTs in service I do always lean towards them on these running days.

Also great to see them running right in to the heart of London. Most of these running days stick to the suburbs.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[calebaaront]

Today's find at work, a load of old timetables. Not sure if it's any interest to anyone? 

[DVee8]

[Inspector Morose]

Meh, much preferred this.

 

Just check out the wiper set up for starters. Sunderland of that period fascinates me , one of a relatively few cases of an operator flying in the face of convention to try new ideas out. 

[Asimo]

What are the car doors from?

 

[High Jetter]

This happened locally, no details as to the cause as yet published:

Another recovery job for Mick Gould

[busmansholiday]

Have another fire victim, except this was taken about 5 hours before it burst into flames on the M5 last night.

[HairySteve]

2 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

Have another fire victim, except this was taken about 5 hours before it burst into flames on the M5 last night.

To be fair, it's over 1000 years old. So it's not done badly.

[martc]

This is the Avenue de l’Opera in Paris and the badge shows that it's a Berliet (or at least the chasis is), but that's all I know.

[martc]

Station Approach, New Barnet, c1992

and 2023 -

 

[busmansholiday]

8 minutes ago, martc said:

This is the Avenue de l’Opera in Paris and the badge shows that it's a Berliet (or at least the chasis is), but that's all I know.

One of a small batch of Berliet / Saviem deckers they had in the late 60's, early 70's (I posted a pic of one I took in Paris in 1971 many, many pages back).

Front engined (under the driver) and front wheel drive. Basically the single deck with another one stuck on top. Didn't last long, think one survives.

[busmansholiday]

Here we go @martc,

 

Paris, 1971.

Apparently one of these also survived.

 

https://citroenvie.com/citroen-cityrama-coach-restoration/

[Inspector Morose]

While the PCM-RE did indeed have its engine mounted horizontally under the driver, it wasn't front-wheel drive although that heavy front hub design would tend you towards thinking this was the case. In reality, it was just a Berliet PCM with another deck on top and built to a low height. They only lasted about 9 years before being pulled off because of their restrictive headroom inside, suspension problems, and, basically, it was a crap idea to build a low-height underfloor engined double-decker!

After their life in service in Paris, a good number found second lives as promotional tools, travellers campers, I believe one became a mobile brothel for a time (headroom not really an issue if you're horizontal, I suppose). It's possible that two survive in preservation, one in the Paris Museum of Urban Transport and another (the prototype) was reported at Musée Automobile de Reims-Champagne. It's also possible, although highly unlikely, that there could be the remains of one or two scattered around too.

[Inspector Morose]

Also, while I'm here, a visit to Perth last week saw me sampling their electric buses. Not one of these buses in the picture has any form of internal combustion on board. Like 'em or loath 'em, it was pretty impressive not hearing a line of buses.

[martc]

13 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

Here we go @martc,

Thanks,  I should have been paying attention many pages back....

The Berliet looks like if was sponsored by Saint Gobain as a mobile advert for every shape and type of auto-glass they make.

[busmansholiday]

19 hours ago, Inspector Morose said:

Also, while I'm here, a visit to Perth last week saw me sampling their electric buses. Not one of these buses in the picture has any form of internal combustion on board. Like 'em or loath 'em, it was pretty impressive not hearing a line of buses.

Interesting that they are all Lundinium registered rather than Scarborough or Falkirk.

[cms206]

4 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

Interesting that they are all Lundinium registered rather than Scarborough or Falkirk.

Thats a BYD thing for some reason; First Glasgow's are all London plated, as are Stagecoach West Scotland's.

[MiniMinorMk3]

[MiniMinorMk3]

[cms206]

This trip's London update will come with a few changes as I'm moving garages next week; my last shift at Bow is tomorrow on an all evening turn on the 425.

I did manage to tick off another few of Bow's Enviro 400s, somewhat sullied by having had 11366 with no retarder the last few nights which isn't ideal on busy corridors with regular standing loads but there you go.

 

Full update next week.

[jon.k]

 

Paramount on Ebay in Autoshite colours.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386179397473?hash=item59ea15f761%3Ag%3AZGwAAOSwDMFlItDp&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4Hk3Whradj%2BzlvM7RMvf%2FnSAskOcht%2BvhxbtRZ9WUFp92PzTo0IckE0nbm%2FX6DFcXdjBJC8CRr6FD09KTrkAdz2b2sFaRis5ddIaLDGlBfnzdAozmu1wlJdbEYDspy%2Fc%2Bu9An7v5jwm4sM%2BsQ5M%2Bko9gSPzCT0k%2B9FuhdYlkXslDMht1ah8PrgkmNJp4wbF%2FzsIEptMYR02Umd7XklQb6JFUIs3jrpMR5mAx6cqhUs%2BaGvI2pvvk8RGIHf56yMr4Llnsq0cYVR%2F3cXPuPorhTqncJFnxASgITxrm98y0byAH|tkp%3ABk9SR-zHhYnjYg&fbclid=IwAR1fFyb5O3141Ty-b3eKzubBY2hX80euaFKFVF6n_Le7n2X0oMLGeJ4vjl8

[SunnySouth]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:59 PM, Inspector Morose said:

Also, while I'm here, a visit to Perth last week saw me sampling their electric buses. Not one of these buses in the picture has any form of internal combustion on board. Like 'em or loath 'em, it was pretty impressive not hearing a line of buses.

Be alright until one of the bastards catches fire! 😮😬

[SunnySouth]

 

Thought this was a rather pleasing contrast, spotted at Rownhams services recently. Brand spanky new thing meets proper thing

In fairness to Xelabus, their livery is very pleasing!

[SunnySouth]

For the London lickers, bonus shot of a former Go Ahead London Optare pressed straight into service with Blue Star in Southampton; currently a bit of a vehicle shortage going on after mopping up all the former First work. The fleetnames had been changed by the time I took this (they weren’t initially), but it’s still got a TFL ad emblazoned down the side of it. Picture’s shoite but you get the idea!

 

Bonus bonus shot of a Southern Vectis machine, complete with “CBA to peel the fleetnames off” spec (alternatively; “They’re having it back” spec), also propping up the Southampton empire. Other far flung donors of exotic machinery include Swindon, Salisbury and Poole.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, jon.k said:

 

Paramount on Ebay in Autoshite colours.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386179397473?hash=item59ea15f761%3Ag%3AZGwAAOSwDMFlItDp&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4Hk3Whradj%2BzlvM7RMvf%2FnSAskOcht%2BvhxbtRZ9WUFp92PzTo0IckE0nbm%2FX6DFcXdjBJC8CRr6FD09KTrkAdz2b2sFaRis5ddIaLDGlBfnzdAozmu1wlJdbEYDspy%2Fc%2Bu9An7v5jwm4sM%2BsQ5M%2Bko9gSPzCT0k%2B9FuhdYlkXslDMht1ah8PrgkmNJp4wbF%2FzsIEptMYR02Umd7XklQb6JFUIs3jrpMR5mAx6cqhUs%2BaGvI2pvvk8RGIHf56yMr4Llnsq0cYVR%2F3cXPuPorhTqncJFnxASgITxrm98y0byAH|tkp%3ABk9SR-zHhYnjYg&fbclid=IwAR1fFyb5O3141Ty-b3eKzubBY2hX80euaFKFVF6n_Le7n2X0oMLGeJ4vjl8

That's a pretty late example of a Bedford based coach, surely?  I'm used to them being under Dominants or Supremes usually.  

[jon.k]

I went to school on a Bedford paramount which was left for dead on the hills by the rival Leyland paramount run by the same people.

[cms206]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

That's a pretty late example of a Bedford based coach, surely?  I'm used to them being under Dominants or Supremes usually.  

It's a late YNT too, not the heavier YNV Venturer which by all accounts was less worse than most Bedfords.

Where cars are concerned I'm a massive Vauxhall apologist but for buses... Ford all the way.

ALL BEDFORDS ARE SHIT etc.

[Inspector Morose]

21 minutes ago, cms206 said:.

Where cars are concerned I'm a massive Vauxhall apologist but for buses... Ford all the way.

All I’ve got to say is Ford six speed box. At least the gears are in the same place as where you left them on a Bedford.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, jon.k said:

I went to school on a Bedford paramount which was left for dead on the hills by the rival Leyland paramount run by the same people.

Same here.  We had an absolute shed of a YMT as one of ours, STA380R.  Slower than a wet week, but absolutely, unerringly reliable and dependable.  Plus the heater was a damned site better than any of the Volvos.  

[martc]

Talking of continental double deckers did you know my favourite, Ikarus, made one? No, neither did I.

It's hard to find out how many were built, probabaly just one as all the pictures I've found appear to have the same reg number. The top deck was simply added to a regular 556 single decker -

And ..... it survives!